school update

I guess I should update on how things went with our meeting with the principal after T's parent/teacher conference: We started by saying that we do NOT want Ree to get T's 1st grade teacher next year...I guess I figured that the principal would know that but she did look a little surprised...she wrote it down though so that should be taken care of. We talked a little bit about the type of teacher we felt that Ree would need in 1st grade since she is so young and hopefully we get a good one. (kinda hoping she won't get A's 1st grade teacher but that teacher would still be better than T's!). Then we spent quite a bit of time discussing what we feel Tristan needs in a teacher for next year and what our expectations are for 2nd grade. We want a teacher who will encourage Tristan...not just get frustrated by him. We want a teacher who understands what his physical limitations are and figure out how to make allowances for those limitations. We want a teacher who is strict and holds Tristan accountable for his actions while still realizing what a sweetheart he is :-) We want someone who we can trust to do her best to teach our son. I don't think any of those are unreasonable requests. So, a teacher had been recommended to us by some people so we requested her...and the principal agreed that she would be a good match for him but then also suggested another teacher that she thought might be a good fit. This other teacher has been working in the special needs department but now wants to come to mainstream classes. I can see why the principal thinks this teacher may be a good fit for Tristan...I guess I'm just not so sure. Tristan's special needs are related to mobility and muscle strength...not intellectual...so while the school has to classify him as "special needs" so he can get his physical, occupational, and speech therapies he's not like some of the "special needs" kids there at the school. I guess I don't feel that he needs a "special needs" trained teacher as much as he needs a teacher that keeps him on task and encouraged. So, anyway...the principal is gonna think about it and then decide which teacher she thinks would be best for Tristan. We have told her that we want to meet with the teacher before school begins so that we can all be on the same page and hopefully Tristan can have a good and productive school year next year and so we as parents don't have to be so frustrated again (as we have been each year that he has been in school.

Really, I just want Tristan to have a good year...Kinder was so frustrating with having to switch teachers for him in the middle of the year...then 1st started out on the wrong foot and has never gotten better...please, please, please let 2nd grade be better!!!!!!